Military News & Discussion

Report: China to build 2 carriers by 2015

By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 3, 2009 9:19:51 EST

China plans to begin building two aircraft carriers next year, a Japanese newspaper reported Wednesday, in what would be its first attempt at fixed-wing naval aviation and a potentially major new variable in the strategic calculus of the Pacific. ...

Full story at Navy Times:
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/navy_china_carriers_010309w/

That's very interesting, since the end of the Cold War (and even during the Cold War), Chinese Military was very keen on building their own Naval Aviation and Aircraft Carrier Groups (to strengthen their position in the region, and specially to take care of a niche, the fact that Chinese Military did not have sufficient naval air units).

They bought several ex-Soviet Carriers (and even some which were under construction, they are now building their own carrier groups).

Well The Chinese Play It Well
They Do Not Have any of their own weapons
each weapon is acuired from russia
or just some minor changes to make it look like they did it

Yeah, here are some major examples (light weapons):









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The US Marines are looking to replace their M249 5.56mm light machine guns in their infantry and Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) battalions. Many have become worn from use, and can be more hindrance than help in some of the close-quarters urban warfare situations dominating current battlefields. They also have a reputation for jamming, and at 15 pounds empty, these belt-fed weapons are rather heavy.

In its initial 2005 FedBizOps.com solicitation for an “Infantry Automatic Rifle” (IAR), the Marines wanted two big things. First, the gun had to fire from either the open or closed bolt position. This would give it the single-shot and “first through the door” capabilities that the M249 lacks, while allowing for more sustained fire than an M16 can handle without risking ammunition “cook off” in a heated barrel. It also had to be considerably lighter than the M249, at just 12.5 pounds maximum and 10.5 pounds desired weight. In exchange, the Marines decided they were willing to trade the SAW’s belt-fed design for switchable 30 round magazines, which are used up much more quickly but can also be changed in battle much more quickly.

The result is not a true light machine gun, but something in between an LMG and an assault rifle. That shift in the 13-man Marine squad has its advocates and detractors. December 2008 saw the initial set of awards for IAR designs, which will eventually be narrowed down to a single winner. DID offers more background concerning the USMC’s IAR contenders and contracts – 2 of which have a US SOCOM background…

Source - Defense Industry Daily:
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/

As a matter of fact, I read a similar story on another site (which was talking about the M249 replacement).

The M249 is, by all means, a fantastic weapon (extremely rugged, reliable and, by all means an excellent weapon for the SAW role).

The FN Minimi has an excellent reputation on reliability and firepower, and the latest reports on failures of M249 SAW weapons in Iraq are attributed to the age of the weapons used - most of the current issue M249 in US Army are more than 10 years old and quite worn out.

The main problem with many of those machine guns in US use is that many are worn out from so much use (specially when we are talking about Marines, which are put, along with their weapons, through extremely rigorous courses).

I'm very curious to watch the new replacement (as we all know, the adoption of a new weapon in current US Military service is sort of a taboo subject).

Snake wrote: I'm very curious to watch the new replacement (as we all know, the adoption of a new weapon in current US Military service is sort of a taboo subject).

Especially when you consider the cost of replacing this type of s*** just keeps going through the roof.

Defense contractors are asking a pretty penny these days, for new, as well as replacement systems. I'd love to have a fraction of that cut.

Too true, if they announced such large replacement costs some years ago, many would have made a riot , no wonder so many projects are considered Top Secret these days, I'd say they are more top secret because of the cost rather than the effectiveness and battlefield impact

I'd love to have a fraction of that cut.

Me too, a drop of water on that kind of ocean would certainly make our day (and we could pretty much retire right away).

The ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) is a program by the United States Army to replace around 375 Bell Textron OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. The Army’s initial replacement, the $14.6 billion RAH-66 Comanche program, was canceled in 2004. Instead, the Army would buy a larger number of less expensive platforms, with reduced capabilities.

Bell Helicopter Textron initially won the ARH competition, beating an MD Helicopter/Boeing consortium. As DID has noted re: a similar $500-600 million competition in India, Bell’s ARH-70 is a militarized version of its highly successful 407 single-engine commercial helicopter.

This will serve as DID’s FOCUS Article for the ARH program, providing updated background, details, and contract award information. Bell Helicopter continued to work on the ARH-70 at its own expense, but rising program costs led to a program review. The ARH-70 Arapaho did not survive. Iraq looks set to buy Bell’s ARH-407, but the US Army has begun its procurement process over again. Step 1 involves additional requirements that make the specs harder to meet, while raising potential costs and risks…

Source:
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/comanches-child-the-arh70-armed-reconnaissance-helicopter-updated-02421/

The Kiowa Warrior's replacement in the mod was to be the ARH-70, but due to it's cancellation we decided to bring up everyone's favorite RAH-66 Comanche

Design & Preparations Continue for the USA’s New CVN-21 Super-Carrier:

Some nations have aircraft carriers. The USA has super-carriers. The French Charles De Gaulle Class nuclear carriers displace about 43,000t. India’s new Vikramaditya/ Admiral Gorshkov Class will have a similar displacement. The future British CVF Queen Elizabeth Class and related French PA2 Project are expected to displace about 65,000t (British) – 74,000t (French), while the British Invincible Class carriers that participated in the Falklands War weigh in at around 22,000t. Invincible actually compares well to Italy’s new Cavour Class (27,000t), and Spain’s Principe de Asturias Class (17,000t). The USA’s Nimitz Class and CVN-21 Gerald R. Ford Class, in contrast, fall in the 90,000t-105,000t range. Hence the unofficial designation “super-carriers”. Just one of these ships packs a more potent air force than many nations.

As the successor to the 102,000 ton Nimitz Class super-carriers, the CVN-21 program aims to increase aircraft sortie generation rates by 20%, increase survivability to better handle future threats, require fewer sailors, and have depot maintenance requirements that could support an increase of up to 25% in operational availability. The combination of a new design nuclear propulsion plant and an improved electric plant are expected to provide 2-3 times the electrical generation capacity of previous carriers, which in turn enables systems like an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System (EMALS, replacing steam-driven catapults), Advanced Arresting Gear, and a new integrated warfare system that will leverage advances in open systems architecture. Other CVN-21 features include an enhanced flight deck, improved weapons handling and aircraft servicing efficiency, and a flexible island arrangement allowing for future technology insertion. See this graphic for more details.

DID’s CVN-21 FOCUS Article offers a detailed look at a number of the program’s key innovations, as well as a list of relevant contract awards and events. The latest news is a an advance materials award for the 2nd carrier of this new class…

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Cougar Family MRAPs to Stalk Mines on the Battlefield:

The Cougar family of medium-sized blast-protected vehicles is produced in both 4-wheel (formerly Cougar H) and 6-wheel (formerly Cougar HE) layouts. Eventually, the wisdom of using survivable vehicles in a theater where land mines were the #1 threat became clearer, and these vehicles have gradually shifted from dedicated engineer and Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) roles to patrol and route-proving/ convoy lead functions as well. The 4×4 vehicles usually carry 4 troops plus the front seats, while the 6×6 variants can carry up to 8+2. They may also carry an assortment of related equipment, such as bomb disposal robots.

These are not small vehicles. The M1114 up-armored Hummers have an empty “curb weight” of around 9,000 pounds, and a top weight of about 12,000 pounds. The smaller Cougar 4×4’s curb weight is 31,000 pounds (max. 38,000), while the 6×6’s curb weight is 38,000 pounds (max. 52,000). As the amusing web page by manufacturer Force Protection puts it: “Drop your purse, it’s not a Hummer.”

Cougar orders predate the USA’s MRAP program to rush mine-resistant vehicles to the front lines; indeed, the performance Force Protection’s vehicles in theater was probably the #1 trigger for the MRAP Program’s existence. This DID FOCUS Article describes Force Protection’s vehicles, and its efforts to ramp up its production; it also covers key events and procurements related to Force Protection’s Cougar (MRAP CAT I & II) and Buffalo (MRAP CAT III) vehicles in the USA and around the world. To date, the firm has received orders from Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Iraq, and Yemen; front line testimonials offer evidence of their effectiveness.

In recent news, its Cheetah vehicle wasn’t selected under the JLTV competition to replace America’s Hummers, but an expanded partnership just made it an M-ATV interim fielding candidate. Meanwhile, additional orders are in for maintenance, and for new armor designed to defeat EFP land mines…

Source of both stories - Defense industry Daily:
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/

Just one of these ships packs a more potent air force than many nations.

Too true, these things are, by all means, moving cities.

Here's a post about TAOW's USS Gerald R. Ford (the first/lead ships of Gerald R. Ford's Class, designated as CVN-78), the Flagship of the US Navy in the mod.

https://taow.forumotion.com/the-art-of-war-f6/naval-mode-t149.htm#4902

About the MRAP's, in my opinion, they aren't as mentioned on media as they should be (they aren't as mentioned as they should be), MRAP's have saved thousands of soldiers in the Middle East and still I don't recall ever watching a single one in a game (specially since MRAP's are a large and ever-growing class and aren't mentioned).

We are including, at least 3 MRAP's (Cougar HE 6x6 included ).

First Multispectral Camouflage Systems for Abrams Main Battle Tanks
Saab AB | Jun 4, 2008

In less than six months, Saab Barracuda has delivered prototype camouflage systems fitted to the Australian Army for the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and M88A2 Hercules Armoured Recovery Vehicles, giving them higher survivability on the battlefield.

The contract worth $4.2 million AUD was signed in December 2007 to design, manufacture and fit camouflage to these tracked vehicles after the Australian Army identified the need to reduce the multispectral signatures and to reduce the solar heat transfer into the vehicles while operating in Australian conditions.

These special camouflage systems are designed to significantly reduce the visual, near-infrared, thermal infrared, and radar signature of the vehicles. The second part of this requirement is achieved using Saab’s Heat Transfer Reduction technologies which are designed to make the internal environment of the vehicle more liveable in the extreme conditions of northern Australia.

The effectiveness of the multispectral camouflage systems is being verified in tests conducted by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation.

“Saab has been supplying the Australian Defence Force with its signature management capability for thirty years, and this project reaffirms their trust in Saab’s capability and experience”, says Bob Fuller, Managing Director of Saab Barracuda Pty Ltd.

The design and manufacture was carried out by Saab Barracuda in Sydney with materials and support from Saab Barracuda, Sweden, and other local suppliers. This camouflage system now has export potential for the other countries using advanced classes of main battle tanks.

Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents and constantly develops, adopts and improves new technology to meet customers’ changing needs.

Source - Daily Defence News:
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/army/First_Multispectral_Camouflage_Systems_for_Abrams_Main_Battle_Tanks110015891.php

I got a pic of one of such Australian M1's:

Looks quite interesting, it's definitely a cool pattern for an M1.

Wow, that's cool and freaky looking at the same time.

Yeah, the better part of it is it's specifications (the advancements it haves over old school camo).

A Whole New Type Of Protective Armour
| Jan 21, 2009

Porton Down, UK: Developing protective vehicle armour with holes in it may not seem the most obvious way to increase protection for British troops on operations but that's just what MOD scientists are doing.

Since 2000, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down in Wiltshire has worked in collaboration with Cambridge University and QinetiQ to develop Super Bainite, a unique ultra-hard armour material.

It may seem like a strange solution but introducing holes to vehicle armour can actually provide a protective advantage. DSTL scientist Professor Peter Brown explained:

"You shouldn't think of them as holes, you should think of them as edges. When a bullet hits an edge, it gets deflected, and turns from a sharp projectile into a blunt fragment - which is much easier to stop."

The introduction of holes also reduces weight he adds and doubles the ballistic performance, making perforated Super Bainite steel armour ballistically very efficient.

Invented, designed and manufactured in the UK, Super Bainite is an experimental high performance armour steel developed to save the lives of UK Armed Forces and the armour has performed well in ballistic testing at the Ministry of Defence's firing ranges.

Unlike conventional steels, the composition of Super Bainite was derived from first principles using thermodynamic modelling techniques. This allowed its processing, properties and cost to be optimised in months rather than years.

It has been know since the 1930s that certain heat treatments alter the fine-scale structure of steel creating a 'phase' called bainite, but in collaboration with steelmaker Corus, DSTL scientists have developed a new manufacturing process, which allows the alloy to be produced quickly and cost effectively.

Whilst other armour steels need to be quenched and tempered, Super Bainite develops its properties by a low temperature mechanism called isothermal hardening. This enables ultra-high levels of hardness to be achieved without having to use expensive alloying additions.

Isothermal hardening involves the steel being heated to 1,000C, cooled to about 200C, and then held at this temperature for a period of time before cooling to room temperature. This is how the Super Bainite develops its exceptional strength.

Traditionally the MOD has utilised offshore suppliers to fulfil its specialist armour requirements. However, following the successful industrial production trials, directed by DSTL in partnership with Corus and Bodycote, the UK is now well placed to develop a secure onshore supply of specialist, high hardness steel armour.

Professor Peter Brown added:

"Due to the unique process by which we have developed this new armour, Super Bainite is able to match the ballistic performance of the best off-shore armour steels at reduced cost."

Source - Daily Defence News
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/army/A_Whole_New_Type_Of_Protective_Armour110016946.php

Interesting, though intriguing

Who would have thought that "swiss cheesing" a tank would actually make it more protected , plus it'll reduce armor costs, can't wait to watch it equipped on a tank to better guess it's definitive look.

"We have seen some cool iPhone applications come out for shooting sports. But nothing comes close to the sheer awesomeness of the Knights Armaments M110 iPod Touch mount and accompanying ballistics software.

The M110 is the 7.62×51mm semi-automatic sniper system which won the Army’s competition to replace the aging M24 bolt action sniper system. While it will not replace the M24 in the near future, the system is seeing action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The rifle is based on the SR-25, which in turn is based on the Stoners’ AR-10 design.

Knights Armaments have developed a mounting system for the iPod Touch that attaches to a side mounted picatinny rail. The mount attaches to an Otterbox protective case.


KAC contracted Runaway technologies to build an external ballistics calculator for the iPod Touch / iPhone named Bullet Flight. It is your standard ballistics application. You can set firearm / ammunition profiles, then call up the saved profile and enter your environment information, for example, distance, wind direction, elevation and temperature.


The application is available from the iTunes store for $11.99. It is a lot more expensive than the $4.99 iSnipe application.

We may yet see an iPhone on the battlefield "

Source:
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2009/01/20/ipod-touch-mounted-on-m110-sniper-rifle/

WoW I Need To Get One Of Those

Using and iPod on the battlefield, now THAT's "multitasking"

This is quite a story:

Soldier on 1st skydive leads dying instructor down:

By JEFFREY COLLINS, Associated Press Writer Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press Writer – Mon Feb 2, 2:05 pm ET

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Strapped to his dying instructor a few thousand feet from the ground on his first skydive, Daniel Pharr found himself floating toward a house and some trees.

The military taught the 25-year-old soldier not to panic. And TV taught him to pull the toggles on the already-deployed parachute to steer.

So Pharr grabbed the right handle and pulled to avoid the house and tugged again to miss the trees, landing safely in a field about a third of a mile from their intended landing spot.

Pharr said he wrestled out of the harness binding him to his instructor, George "Chip" Steele, and started CPR trying to save him from an apparent heart attack.

Steele was later pronounced dead, but the tragedy could have been worse: Other instructors at the skydiving school told Pharr if he had pulled the toggle too hard, the chute would have spun out of control, and he could be dead, too.

"They told me afterward that it was amazing that I knew to do that. This is my survival instinct at that point. I just kind of did what I had to do," said Pharr, taking a break Monday from his job at Fort Gordon near Augusta, Ga.

The jump was a Christmas gift from Pharr's girlfriend. The two went to Skydive Carolina in Chester on Saturday to jump from 13,500 feet in the air while attached to instructors.

Steele, 49, gave instructions as the plane climbed. He told Pharr he loved skydiving, having jumped more than 8,000 times.

They were the last of about 10 skydivers to jump out of the plane. Pharr enjoyed a minute of free fall as the cold air rushed by.

"He pulled the chute," Pharr said. "It got super quiet. It's eerily quiet up there. I made the comment to him, 'It's surprising how quiet it is.' And he's like: 'Welcome to my world.'"

A few seconds passed, and Pharr asked his instructor another question. This time, Steele didn't answer. Pharr repeated his question. No answer. ...

Full story at Yahoo News:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/skydiver_death

Nope That's Not Ironic At All...
AT ALLLLLLLL!

DAMN!!!

The USA’s 2009 Hummer Orders:

'The US military’s Hummers have demonstrated severe payload and survivability limitations. Nevertheless, they remain a fixture in the fleet, and new orders continue. Orders and shipments of blast-resistant MRAP vehicles have largely tailed off after a run of over 15,000 vehicles, and the 40,000 to 60,000 vehicle JLTV program will not field Hummer replacements until 2014 – if it survives at all. The US military is working on an interim M-ATV program that will buy lighter blast-resistant vehicles for use on the front lines, but that program has yet to issue a contract, let alone fielding vehicles in theater.

All of these options distinguish themselves from the HMMWV or “hummer” by having smooth, shaped bottoms that deflect land mine blasts away, instead of flat bottoms with lots of pockets that catch, reflect, and catch under-body explosions in an iterative cycle. At one point, the US Marines’ objective was to restrict Hummer to use “inside the wire” of American bases in Iraq. Instead, a sharp reduction in violence within Iraq, and a lower vehicle threat level so far in Afghanistan, have given the HMMWVs a new lease on life. They are still seeing extensive use on the front lines, and the early wear created by the weight of their add-on armor has led to RESET maintenance programs for some Hummers and allied giveaways for others.

The US Army had about 19,000 HMMWV vehicles in Iraq alone in mid-2007. As Hummers wear out and are given away, or are sent to a depot, they must be replaced. Some replacement involves cycling vehicles from other units into theater, but those units must eventually have their lost vehicles replaced with Hummers or with something else, in order to maintain their own readiness rates for deployment. Hence the necessity for ongoing buys of more Hummers, in the absence of a program to provide replacements on a fleet-wide basis. ...'



he M1165 HMMWV [pictured above] is a 4-door HMMWV Enhanced Troop/ Cargo/ Shelter Carrier on an ECV (Expanded Capacity Vehicle) chassis, contracted in 2006 to combine the roles of the M1097A2 ‘HMMWV Truck’ (vid. its shortcomings) and M1113 models.

All of these vehicles have had some changes made as a result of experience with the harsh environment of South West Asia, rising payload demands to accommodate the weight of armor, and some feedback from the field. As a result, the US military has begun fielding “Reliability Enhanced” M1151, M1152 and M1165 model HMMWVs.

Source Defense Industry Daily -
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/

Tusker2Zero wrote:This is quite a story:

Soldier on 1st skydive leads dying instructor down:

By JEFFREY COLLINS, Associated Press Writer Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press Writer – Mon Feb 2, 2:05 pm ET

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Strapped to his dying instructor a few thousand feet from the ground on his first skydive, Daniel Pharr found himself floating toward a house and some trees.

The military taught the 25-year-old soldier not to panic. And TV taught him to pull the toggles on the already-deployed parachute to steer.

So Pharr grabbed the right handle and pulled to avoid the house and tugged again to miss the trees, landing safely in a field about a third of a mile from their intended landing spot.

Pharr said he wrestled out of the harness binding him to his instructor, George "Chip" Steele, and started CPR trying to save him from an apparent heart attack.

Steele was later pronounced dead, but the tragedy could have been worse: Other instructors at the skydiving school told Pharr if he had pulled the toggle too hard, the chute would have spun out of control, and he could be dead, too.

"They told me afterward that it was amazing that I knew to do that. This is my survival instinct at that point. I just kind of did what I had to do," said Pharr, taking a break Monday from his job at Fort Gordon near Augusta, Ga.

The jump was a Christmas gift from Pharr's girlfriend. The two went to Skydive Carolina in Chester on Saturday to jump from 13,500 feet in the air while attached to instructors.

Steele, 49, gave instructions as the plane climbed. He told Pharr he loved skydiving, having jumped more than 8,000 times.

They were the last of about 10 skydivers to jump out of the plane. Pharr enjoyed a minute of free fall as the cold air rushed by.

"He pulled the chute," Pharr said. "It got super quiet. It's eerily quiet up there. I made the comment to him, 'It's surprising how quiet it is.' And he's like: 'Welcome to my world.'"

A few seconds passed, and Pharr asked his instructor another question. This time, Steele didn't answer. Pharr repeated his question. No answer. ...

Full story at Yahoo News:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/skydiver_death

Just a bit of an update. I found an video interview with Pharr, and I couldn't believe that he landed safely controlling only one parachute toggle. All I've got to say is wow. Here's the video: